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<div class="doctools">
<h1 class="doctools_title">doctools2idx_introduction(n) 2.0 tcllib &quot;Documentation tools&quot;</h1>
<div id="name" class="doctools_section"><h2><a name="name">Name</a></h2>
<p>doctools2idx_introduction - DocTools - Keyword indices</p>
</div>
<div id="toc" class="doctools_section"><h2><a name="toc">Table Of Contents</a></h2>
<ul class="doctools_toc">
<li class="doctools_section"><a href="#toc">Table Of Contents</a></li>
<li class="doctools_section"><a href="#section1">Description</a></li>
<li class="doctools_section"><a href="#section2">Related formats</a></li>
<li class="doctools_section"><a href="#section3">Package Overview</a></li>
<li class="doctools_section"><a href="#section4">Bugs, Ideas, Feedback</a></li>
<li class="doctools_section"><a href="#see-also">See Also</a></li>
<li class="doctools_section"><a href="#keywords">Keywords</a></li>
<li class="doctools_section"><a href="#category">Category</a></li>
<li class="doctools_section"><a href="#copyright">Copyright</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div id="section1" class="doctools_section"><h2><a name="section1">Description</a></h2>
<p><i class="term"><a href="../../../../index.html#docidx">docidx</a></i> (short for <em>documentation indices</em>) stands for a
set of related, yet different, entities which are working together for
the easy creation and transformation of keyword indices for
documentation.</p>
<p>These are</p>
<ol class="doctools_enumerated">
<li><p>A tcl based language for the semantic markup of a keyword index.
Markup is represented by Tcl commands.
Beginners should start with the
<i class="term"><a href="../doctools/docidx_lang_intro.html">docidx language introduction</a></i>.
The formal specification is split over two documents, one dealing with
the <i class="term"><a href="../doctools/docidx_lang_syntax.html">docidx language syntax</a></i>, the other a
<i class="term"><a href="../doctools/docidx_lang_cmdref.html">docidx language command reference</a></i>.</p></li>
<li><p>A set of packages for the programmatic manipulation of keyword indices
in memory, and their conversion between various formats, reading and
writing. The aforementioned markup language is one of the formats
which can be both read from and written to.</p></li>
<li><p>The system for the conversion of indices is based on a plugin
mechanism, for this we have two APIs describing the interface between
the packages above and the import/export plugins.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Which of the more detailed documents are relevant to the reader of
this introduction depends on their role in the documentation process.</p>
<ol class="doctools_enumerated">
<li><p>A <i class="term">writer</i> of documentation has to understand the markup language
itself. A beginner to docidx should read the more informally written
<i class="term"><a href="../doctools/docidx_lang_intro.html">docidx language introduction</a></i> first. Having digested this
the formal <i class="term"><a href="../doctools/docidx_lang_syntax.html">docidx language syntax</a></i> specification should
become understandable. A writer experienced with docidx may only
need the <i class="term"><a href="../doctools/docidx_lang_cmdref.html">docidx language command reference</a></i> from time to
time to refresh her memory.</p>
<p>While a document is written the <b class="syscmd">dtp</b> application can be used
to validate it, and after completion it also performs the conversion
into the chosen system of visual markup, be it *roff, HTML, plain
text, wiki, etc. The simpler <b class="syscmd"><a href="../dtplite/pkg_dtplite.html">dtplite</a></b> application makes
internal use of docidx when handling directories of documentation,
automatically generating a proper keyword index for them.</p></li>
<li><p>A <i class="term">processor</i> of documentation written in the <i class="term"><a href="../../../../index.html#docidx">docidx</a></i>
markup language has to know which tools are available for use.</p>
<p>The main tool is the aforementioned <b class="syscmd">dtp</b> application provided
by Tcllib. The simpler <b class="syscmd"><a href="../dtplite/pkg_dtplite.html">dtplite</a></b> does not expose docidx to the
user. At the bottom level, common to both applications, however we
find the three packages providing the basic facilities to handle
keyword indices, i.e. import from textual formats, programmatic
manipulation in memory, and export to textual formats. These are</p>
<dl class="doctools_definitions">
<dt><b class="package"><a href="idx_container.html">doctools::idx</a></b></dt>
<dd><p>Programmatic manipulation of keyword indices in memory.</p></dd>
<dt><b class="package"><a href="idx_import.html">doctools::idx::import</a></b></dt>
<dd><p>Import of keyword indices from various textual formats. The set of
supported formats is extensible through plugin packages.</p></dd>
<dt><b class="package"><a href="idx_export.html">doctools::idx::export</a></b></dt>
<dd><p>Export of keyword indices to various textual formats. The set of
supported formats is extensible through plugin packages.</p></dd>
</dl>
<p>See also section <span class="sectref"><a href="#section3">Package Overview</a></span> for an overview of the
dependencies between these and other, supporting packages.</p></li>
<li><p>At last, but not least, <i class="term">plugin writers</i> have to understand the
interaction between the import and export packages and their plugins.
These APIs are described in the documentation for the two relevant
packages, i.e.</p>
<ul class="doctools_itemized">
<li><p><b class="package"><a href="idx_import.html">doctools::idx::import</a></b></p></li>
<li><p><b class="package"><a href="idx_export.html">doctools::idx::export</a></b></p></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ol>
</div>
<div id="section2" class="doctools_section"><h2><a name="section2">Related formats</a></h2>
<p>The docidx format does not stand alone, it has two companion formats.
These are called <i class="term"><a href="../../../../index.html#doctoc">doctoc</a></i> and <i class="term"><a href="../../../../index.html#doctools">doctools</a></i>, and they are
intended for the markup of <i class="term">tables of contents</i>, and of general
documentation, respectively.
They are described in their own sets of documents, starting at
the <i class="term">DocTools - Tables Of Contents</i> and
the <i class="term">DocTools - General</i>, respectively.</p>
</div>
<div id="section3" class="doctools_section"><h2><a name="section3">Package Overview</a></h2>
<pre class="doctools_example">
                                    ~~~~~~~~~~~ doctools::idx ~~~~~~~~~~~
                                   ~~                   |               ~~
                doctools::idx::export ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ doctools::idx::import
                        |                               |                       |
        +---------------+-------------------------+     |    +------------------+---------------+-----------------------+---------------+
        |               |                         |     |    |                  |               |                       |               |
struct::map             =                         |     |    |                  =       doctools::include       struct::map      fileutil::paths
                        |                         |     |    |                  |
                doctools::idx::export::&lt;*&gt;        |     |    |          doctools::idx::import::&lt;*&gt;
                        docidx                    |     |    |                  docidx, json
                        json                      |     |    |                  |           \
                        html                      |     |    |          doctools::idx::parse \
                        nroff                     |     |    |                  |             \
                        wiki                      |     |    |  +---------------+              json
                        text                      |     |    |  |               |
                                                doctools::idx::structure        |
                                                                                |
                                                                        +-------+---------------+
                                                                        |                       |
          doctools::html  doctools::html::cssdefaults           doctools::tcl::parse    doctools::msgcat        
                |                                                                               |
          doctools::text  doctools::nroff::man_macros                                           =
                                                                                                |
                                                                                        doctools::msgcat::idx::&lt;*&gt;
                                                                                                c, en, de, fr
                                                                                                (fr == en for now)
        ~~      Interoperable objects, without actual package dependencies
        --      Package dependency, higher requires lower package
        =       Dynamic dependency through plugin system
        &lt;*&gt;     Multiple packages following the given form of naming.
</pre>
</div>
<div id="section4" class="doctools_section"><h2><a name="section4">Bugs, Ideas, Feedback</a></h2>
<p>This document, and the package it describes, will undoubtedly contain
bugs and other problems.
Please report such in the category <em>doctools</em> of the
<a href="http://core.tcl.tk/tcllib/reportlist">Tcllib Trackers</a>.
Please also report any ideas for enhancements you may have for either
package and/or documentation.</p>
<p>When proposing code changes, please provide <em>unified diffs</em>,
i.e the output of <b class="const">diff -u</b>.</p>
<p>Note further that <em>attachments</em> are strongly preferred over
inlined patches. Attachments can be made by going to the <b class="const">Edit</b>
form of the ticket immediately after its creation, and then using the
left-most button in the secondary navigation bar.</p>
</div>
<div id="see-also" class="doctools_section"><h2><a name="see-also">See Also</a></h2>
<p><a href="../doctools/docidx_intro.html">docidx_intro</a>, <a href="../doctools/doctoc_intro.html">doctoc_intro</a>, <a href="../doctools/doctools.html">doctools</a>, doctools2doc_introduction, <a href="../doctools2toc/toc_introduction.html">doctools2toc_introduction</a>, <a href="../doctools/doctools_lang_cmdref.html">doctools_lang_cmdref</a>, <a href="../doctools/doctools_lang_faq.html">doctools_lang_faq</a>, <a href="../doctools/doctools_lang_intro.html">doctools_lang_intro</a>, <a href="../doctools/doctools_lang_syntax.html">doctools_lang_syntax</a>, <a href="../doctools/doctools_plugin_apiref.html">doctools_plugin_apiref</a></p>
</div>
<div id="keywords" class="doctools_section"><h2><a name="keywords">Keywords</a></h2>
<p><a href="../../../../index.html#conversion">conversion</a>, <a href="../../../../index.html#formatting">formatting</a>, <a href="../../../../index.html#index">index</a>, <a href="../../../../index.html#keyword_index">keyword index</a>, <a href="../../../../index.html#markup">markup</a>, <a href="../../../../index.html#parsing">parsing</a>, <a href="../../../../index.html#plugin">plugin</a>, <a href="../../../../index.html#semantic_markup">semantic markup</a></p>
</div>
<div id="category" class="doctools_section"><h2><a name="category">Category</a></h2>
<p>Documentation tools</p>
</div>
<div id="copyright" class="doctools_section"><h2><a name="copyright">Copyright</a></h2>
<p>Copyright &copy; 2009 Andreas Kupries &lt;andreas_kupries@users.sourceforge.net&gt;</p>
</div>
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